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Playing confidently against Salzburg, Atlético de Madrid defeated 2: 3. But the Spanish team has moved to the brink of defeat.
Madrid / Moskau. Spanish club soccer is a mystery these days. FC Barcelona is in turmoil, Real Madrid in a profit crisis and Atlético de Madrid, who would be predestined to fill this void, only managed a 4-0 defeat at Bayern Munich and now fought Red Bull Salzburg in a situation desperate for a 3-2 home win.
There were two faces that Atlético showed in the Wanda Metropolitano empty of the crown in this Champions League group duel: On the one hand, fast and precise offensive combinations, in which the Salzburg rear only played the role of spectators. At 22 minutes, for example, the two centrals from Salzburg (Ramalho, Wöber) had already been booked with a yellow card, at 29 minutes Marcos Llorente (29th) scored for the Spanish advantage.
But then the second face of Atlético became clear. In the end, the local team showed great negligence (32, 42, 54, 60), even Llorente failed only in front of the Salzburg goalkeeper Stankovic (33), like Luis Suárez (37), who had been thrown in Barcelona . But even more surprising with the Spaniards: Nothing of Atlético’s infamous defensive skills was visible. Hardly any dueling behavior, no ruthless destruction of the opposing playing structure, nothing of the kind that took the team to the top European league and earned it the nickname “The Dirty Dozen”.
Salzburg’s Dominik Szoboszlai was able to score 1: 1 (40th), while Mërgim Berisha was able to do it 2: 1 for the self-confident guests after Ulmer’s preparatory work (47th). Should the Austrian champions break the proud athletic streak of 26 European Cup matches at home without losing?
But the Wanda Metropolitano remains a fortress. Even with empty rows. Atlético coach Diego Simeone, who led the club to the Champions League final twice (2014 and 2016), was angry, barely in his training zone and finally saw the most beautiful action of the night .
João Félix, 20, completed a play that did not allow the Salzburg defender to even get close to a duel, much less the ball (52). The young star also scored the winning goal. An unsustainable shot after Salzburg failed to clear a corner (85). The previous year, the Portuguese had been brought in from Benfica Lisbon for 127 million euros, where he was in the 2017 Youth League final, and had suffered a 2-1 loss to the descendants of Red Bull from Salzburg.
Almost sensation in Moscow
Bayern Munich made it surprisingly exciting in the Group A side match. The defending champions came late to a 2-1 win at Lok Moscow. Leon Goretzka (13th) and Joshua Kimmich (79th) scored Bayern’s second win in the second group game and set the course for the round of 16 from the start. But in front of some 7,000 spectators, who were allowed to be there at the RŽD-Arena despite Corona’s high numbers in Moscow, Munich’s winning streak in Europe’s premier class seemed almost to be snapped. Meanwhile, a goal from Anton Mirantschuk (70th) had made the Russians dream.
Particularly happy for David Alaba and company: if Zé Luís from Moscow had not closed too stubbornly and missed the long corner (77), the Russians’ first goal would have been inevitable. Bayern wavered in this phase, but then junior coach Kimmich forced victory once again. He accepted a pass from Javi Martínez in the center and hit the far corner precisely from 20 meters.
Second day of the Champions League
Group A: Lok Moscow 1-2 Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid 3-2 Red Bull Salzburg.
Group B: Shakhtar Donetsk – Inter Milan 0-0, Borussia Mönchengladbach – Real Madrid 2-2.
Group C: Olympique de Marseille – Manchester City 0: 3, FC Porto – Olympiakos Piräus 2: 0.
Group D: Atalanta Bergamo – Ajax Amsterdam 2: 2, Liverpool – Midtjylland 2: 0.
(Red.)
